School seeks help to rebuild destroyed playground

Late-night fire wrecked kindergarteners' play area

A Scarborough elementary school is asking the community to help rebuild a playground destroyed Monday evening by a fire.

The fire department arrived Monday around 9 p.m. ET at Mary Shadd Public School near Finch Avenue East and Nielsen Road after someone discovered that the kindergarten play area was on fire, according to a letter principal Annessa Ali sent home with students Tuesday.

A fire destroyed a $20,000 playground installed last summer at a Toronto school after five years of fundraising. (CBC viewer)

The community spent five years fundraising the money to build the playground in a special section of the schoolyard for kindergarten students, said Ali. The $20,000 play area was installed last summer.

The school's insurance company does not cover a replacement, read the letter.

The school is hosting a fundraiser at 2:30 p.m. Wednesday.

"We ask Torontonians to open their hearts to help," wrote Shari Schwartz-Maltz, a board spokeswoman.

Toronto District School Board employees have removed the charred remains from the play area, and the grounds are safe for students.